Ladder for boat dock,seawall,or the like



March 31, 1970 F. w. LINDBLAD 3,503,467

LADDER FOR BOAT DOCK, SEAWALL, OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. l2, 1968 maar lll

INvENToR Fssoamcx w. Lmoamo @IIS/@07514 @da United States Patent O3,503,467 LADDER FOR BOAT DOCK, SEAWALL, OR THE LIKE Frederick W.Lindblad, 835 Illinois Ave., Batavia, Ill. 60506 Filed Feb. 12, 1968,Ser. No. 704,793 Int. Cl. E06c 9/06 U.S. Cl. 182-97 2 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A ladder is pivotally connected to a boat dock, seawallor like structure and overhangs the water. The ladder is rotatable toand from a storage position in which the ladder is horizontal andalongside of the structure to a vertical position in which the ladderprojects downwardly from its pivot axis toward the water. A releasablelocking mechanism secures the ladder in either of the two positions.

This invention relates to a ladder for a boat dock, seawall or the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a ladder that is pivotallymounted on a boat dock, seawall or the like and overhangs the water, andwherein the ladder may be selectively rotated to alternate positionsabout its pivot axis and secured in those positions. In one position,the ladder is substantially vertical so that it may be used by personsentering into or alighting from the water or a boat. In anotherposition, the ladder is rotated from the vertical position to asubstantially horizontal position adjacent to the upper edge of the dockor seawall and at which the ladder may be stored. There may be more thanone storage position and the two storage positions may each beone-hundred-eighty degrees apart.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a combination of thetype stated in which the arrangement for securing the ladder in astorage position is of a type that permits ready release thereof uponapplication of a moderate force on the ladder remote from its pivotaxis. Because of such an arrangement when the ladder is in a storageposition, a person in the water may pull on the ladder to release it andallow it to swing downwardly to its vertical position. The person maythen use the ladder to climb out of the water. If the storage positionof the ladder is too high above the water level to permit it to -begrasped by a person in the water, a rope may be attached to the ladderto enable it to be pulled downwardly from its storage position. Thus,the device of the present invention results in a ladder that may bemounted on a seawall or dock and has the additional advantage of servingas a rescue ladder for persons in the water.

The attainment of the above and further objects of this invention willbe apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

F-IG. l is a perspective View of a ladder shown mounted on a seawall inaccordance lwith the present invention, the ladder being shown in one ofits storage positions;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front-elevational view, on an enlarged scale, ofthe structure of FIG. l but showing the ladder in its vertical oroperative position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View of a portion of the structure of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views, on enlarged scales,taken along lines 5, 6-6 and 7-7, respectively, of FIG. 2.; and

3,503,467 Patented Mar. 3l, 1970 FIG. 8 is a fragmentary frontelevational view, partially broken away and in section, of a modifiedform of the invention.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, a ladder 1 is shownpivotally mounted on a structure 2 with which it is used by a mountingassembly 3. By way of example but not of limitation, the structure is aseawall and the ladder 1 is mounted in overhanging relation to the waterw.

The mounting assembly 3 comprises an angle-shaped bracket 5 having ahorizontal leg that rests on top of the seawall 2 and a vertical leg 6that abuts the outboard face 7 of the seawall 2. An angle-shaped clamp 9abuts the top and inboard faces of the seawall 2 and has bolts 10, 11passing therethrough and into threaded holes 13, 14 in the bracket 5. Bydrawing up tightly on the bolts 10, 11, the bracket 5 may be secured tothe seawall 2 without the necessity of drilling into the concrete of theseawall. However, the bracket 5 is designed for mounting on a dockhaving wooden planking. For this purpose, the bracket 5 has holes 15through which heavy screws or bolts may pass for mounting the bracket 5onto the dock, in which case the clamp 9 and bolts 10, 11 are not used.

Integrally formed on the outboard face 17 of the vertical leg 6 is atrunnion 18 having upper and lower cylindrical bearing surfaces 20, 21that are joined by vertical flat surfaces 22, 23. A pivot plate 25 has alarge boss 26 'with a cylindrical bore 27 that opens at the inboard face29 of the pivot plate 25 and is sized for telescoping engagement withthe trunnion 18 so that the pivot plate 25 is rotatable on the bearingsurfaces 20, 21. A bolt and nut assembly 31 passes centrally through theboss 26 and trunnion 18 to secure the pivot plate 25 onto the bracketleg 6 so that the plate may rotate about the axis of the bolt 31.

A clamp 32 may be used to secure the ladder 1 to the pivot plate 25 sothat its pivot axis passes through the ladder. The clamp 32 may be anelongated plate that is integrally formed with two spaced inwardlyextending blocks 33, 34 that each have a V-groove 35 for receiving oneof the rungs 37 of the ladder 1. Generally, the rung received will bethe uppermost rung 37a of the ladder. The outboard face of the pivotplate 25 also has similar. blocks 36, 38, each having a V-groove 39opening toward the V-grooves 35 and receiving the ladder rung 37a. Boltand nut assemblies 41 may pass through the spaced parallel side members42, 43 of the ladder 1 and through the pivot plate 25 and clamp 32 toretain the ladder rigidly on the pivot plate 25. Alternatively, the boltand nut assemblies 41 may pass through the ladder rung 37a and throughthe blocks 33, 34, 36, 38. In any event, the upper edge of the clamp 32may serve as a foot support when using the ladder.

When not in use, the ladder 1 may be stored in the horizontal positionshown in FIG. 1 wherein the opposite ends of the ladder are adjacent tothe seawall. The ladder may also be stored in a like position that isonehundred-eighty degrees from the position shown in FIG. l. For thispurpose, the pivot plate 25 has a small boss 45 that is radiallyoutwardly of the longitudinal axis of the bolt 31. As best seen in FIG.6, this boss 45 has a bore that opens at the face 29 and receives alocking pin 46 which is biased by a spring 47 toward the bracket leg 6.The locking pin 46 has a substantial length thereof that projectsoutwardly of the outer face of the boss 45 so that the locking pin 46may be grasped for manipulation thereof. Formed in the face 17 areshallow recesses 49, 50 which are 0ne-hundred-eighty degrees apart andare each the same radial distance from the pivot axis of the ladder asis the lock pin 46.

When the ladder is rotated to either horizontal storage position, thelock pin 46 will snap into the recess 49 or 50, as the case may be, andretain the ladder in that position. However, when a suicient force isapplied to the ladder remote from the pivot axis to dislodge thespringbiased pin 46 from the recess 49 or 50, the ladder will swingdownwardly to its vertical or operative position shown in FIGS. 2-7.When the lock pin 46 comes into alignment with a hole 51 in the bracketleg 6, the pin 46 will snap thereinto and retain the ladder in theoperative position. The ladder may now be used. The hole 51 is, ofcourse, centered on the same circle as are the recesses 49, 50 and isninety degrees from each. To return the ladder to either storageposition, the lock pin 46 is grasped and axially shifted to retract itfrom the hole S1, thereby permitting the ladder to be rotated.

If desired, a rope 53 may be secured near the lower end of the ladderand hang downwardly into the water w. If the ladder is in a storageposition and a person is in distress in the water, the person may pullon the rope 53 to dislodge the lock pin 46 from one of the recesses 49or 50 allowing the ladder to swing downwardly so that it then may beused by the person to climb out of the water.

In some instances it may be desired to be able to lock non-releasablythe ladder in its storage position to prevent use of the ladder byunauthorized persons. For this purpose, a modified form of the inventionis shown in FIG. 8 wherein the boss 26 may have two aligned holes 55, 56which open at the bore 27 but which are offset from the pivot bolt 31.When the ladder is in a storage position, as in FIG. 8, there isclearance between the holes S5, 56 across the bore 27 due to thepresence of the fiat surface 23. A like clearance is provided due to theilat surface 22 when the ladder is in the storage position that isone-hundred-eighty degrees from that shown in FIG. 8. In either case,one leg 57 of a bicycle type padlock shackle may be inserted throughboth holes 55, 56 and the lock mechanism 58 of the lock may be securedto both legs of the shackle in the usual manner. If an attempt is madeto move the ladder to its operative position, the leg 57 will obstructthe rotation of the pivot plate 25 as the leg S7 abuts the trunnion 18.

The precise constructions herein shown are illustrative of theprinciples of the invention. What is considered new and sought to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a structure that is in a body of Water andprojects upwardly therefrom, a ladder, means for pivotally mounting theladder on said structure for rotation about the pivot axis to and frompositions wherein the ladder overhangs the water, one of said positionsbeing an operative position in which the ladder extends downwardly fromthe pivot axis toward the water and another of said positions being astorage position in which the opposite ends of the ladder are alongsideof said structure, and means for releasably locking the ladder in eachposition, said means for releasably locking the ladder in the storageposition being operable to release the ladder therefrom upon applicationof a predetermined torque on the ladder.

2. Means for mounting a ladder on a support, said means comprisingbracket means for attachment to the support, a plate, means forattaching the plate to the bracket, cooperating bearing means on theplate and bracket for rotatably mounting the plate on said support,means for clamping a ladder to the plate for rotation therewith suchthat the axis of rotation of the plate passes between the opposite sidesof the ladder, and cooperating means on the bracket and plate forreleasably locking the plate in selected positions of rotations relativeto said bracket, said clamping means and plate having cooperatingchannel portions that open toward each other for receiving a rung of aladder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,568,846 l/l926 .Tones 182-972,158,949 5/1939 Sarles 182-91 2,508,974 5/1950 Soditch 248-2912,967,584 l/l961 Westerlund 182-97 3,190,392 6/1965 Ashton 182-97REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner

